Chapter 18

Arthur’s arms rose with the advent of orange and gold that appeared across the sky, muscles leaner and stronger than they’d ever before been, stretching as his body woke with the world. Standing atop his home, centred upon a pedestal and firm mat, the young man moved through a slew of exercises he’d thought long forgotten in his mind but, with the helpful aid of a card to assist in—smoothing over little things like memory, they all now existed to be easily replicated. Funny enough, back when he’d been little more than a child, too young to be left alone at home on weekends but too old to blissfully exist without the misery that was boredom, Arthur would have never suspected those days spent dragged along to his mother’s yoga classes would prove anything but useless. A once younger Arthur having found himself bored beyond reason, forced to suffer for hours at a time with little more to do than mess with a small venus-fly trap within the building's waiting room. Occasionally, he had ventured deeper, watching and, sometimes, even participating to the best of his abilities, much to the delight of the women present given his young age, and now, strangely enough, he found himself somewhat delighted his mother hadn't just tossed him in daycare…

Though he’d never been one to subscribe to the practice himself, Arthur always having been more of a jogger so far as exercise went, he was currently, as of late, finding the peace, serenity and liberation of spirit offered by the various poses and sensations to be—enriching. Not to mention helpful in aiding his weary and battered body to recover… Yes, he could simply make a card to—toughen himself up and potentially avoid the very worst of his wife's tender ministrations on and off the training yard... Y-yet, the woman was neither stupid nor easy to fool… In fact… he had done exactly that, just to give it a try, and somehow, the damned demon had figured it out within the first hour of training! What followed was a total disaster of epic proportions, at least so far as his grand scheme had been concerned… an—eventuality he probably should have foreseen given what he knew of Dianna and her tendencies… Instead of telling him to discard his teeny, tiny little attempt at cheating his way out of her gruelling exercises, she’d merely pumped up the difficulty, knowing full well there was simply no feasible way her mate could possibly compete with her own upper end, no matter what card he manifested… Again, it was a problem of souls. Her having too many and him too few… needless to say, he’d regretted trying to pull one over on her and, tail between his legs, gone back to the drawing board.

Curiously, the solution he came up with was not one that had much to do with his personal powers of the soul, but instead, his own body. Realizing what Dianna really wanted was less for him to artificially improve himself and more to actually put in the effort, which, given how harsh a personal trainer she could be, left him with plenty of motivation to improve. And from it all, Arthur had achieved enlightenment! Clearing his mind of all intrusive and transient thoughts as he spent his mornings indulging in the nirvana that was the clarity of mind and spiritual discipline achieved through simple meditation. He’d been foolish to try and simply redesign a soul to merely improve his physical prowess. Such a mundane and uncreative failure of a solution hadn't managed to do more than cause him additional agony at the day's end. Mindless! That's all there was to say about it. For everything he’d managed thus far, the basser augmentation of his body so directly and intrinsically tied to that of a single card that he might one day have to abandon or alter was—insulting to his very craft! He could do so much better… and would as a point of fact, do better when he’d hashed the idea all out in his head… assuming of course that the notion itself was permissible by the universe… Either way, until that moment in time in which he was ready to confront the intangible forces that seemed to govern his power, Arthur had made the conscious decision to improve himself the natural way.

A bead of sweat pooled then dripped from his brow as he held himself in a plank, arms and legs shaking while his core burned brightly at his center. When he could sense he could hold the pose no longer, he relaxed, allowing himself to drift back to the ground, breathing deeply but, steadily before rising to his feet to smile, staring out over the grasslands with a sense of peace and contentment filling his soul… Yes, Arthur would never have expected to be one of those guys, one of those lucky fuckers that spent his every day absent the corporate noose around his neck, waking up each and every morning to a sunrise—or in this case, dawn. While of course, spending each waking moment of his evenings balls deep and covered from head to toe in his lover's delicious juices until he passed out from exhaustion… The fact that he woke as he so often did, smothered within the cradling and immense embrace of a goddess-made flesh or, possibly succubus given what she did to him, was, simply put, just icing on his cake…

With a meandering stroll, Arthur descended the staircase leading to the flat roof, moving across the heated marble floors as he directed himself to the kitchen, stopping briefly to see if Dianna was still in bed. She wasn't, but it would have been impressive if she’d managed the feat after they’d—done as they had when waking up. Instead, he ran into the woman as he reached his destination, the massive demoness, her hair soaked, fresh from the bath and wrapped in a towel, face pressed inside the fridge, heartstopping ass hanging out for his—enthusiastic perusal. Looking entirely like some almost comical mashup of the fantastical, impossible, and weirdly mundane whilst pulling away from the refrigerator, a jug of orange juice held in her clawed grip.

“Is it normal for bal to walk around naked, even when children are potentially about?”

“My daughter has seen me as I birthed her all her life.” Dianna reposted in her lyrical drawl. “We bathe together, spar together and live together as nature intended, given how our metamorphosis works. Only underclothes often survive the transition after all.” Then, she turned, hip cocked, eyebrow raised as she peered down at him, nostrils scenting the air before she smirked, a long finger levelling in his direction. “Do all humans exercise whilst still coated in their lover's orgasmic fluids?”

“I’ll have you know that exercising naked on top of the roof of a home built with my own two hands, covered in so-said fluids, watching the light of day fill the sky is about as spiritually peak as my people could ever hope to reach!”

“I'm sure…” Dianna intoned though the smile tugging at the corner of her lips exposed her otherwise exasperated expression. “Arthur, while I do adore the fact you seem so enamoured by my smell as to let it cover you like perfume while you walk about our home, you need to take a bath. It's rude in polite society to be so crass.”

“I'm pretty sure you meant lewd.”

“I said what I said.” Dianna lazily replied, her tail smacking him across his rear as she sauntered from the kitchen with swaying hips, starting to guzzle the carton of juice he’d just resupplied them with before disappearing towards their room.

“God she’s amazing… A little sadistic, but, I'm pretty sure were into all that… crazy dangerous women, eh… who’d of thought?” Arthur held himself there for several moments, ruminating on his short introspection while chewing at his lip… “That said, I always did have a thing for the girls that made me question if they’d stab me if I ever broke up with them… I suppose that—this is just the upper end of the spectrum… and... yup, totally worth the risk…”

Shaking himself of his muttered musings, Arthur eyed the stove, contemplating if he wanted to make breakfast now or after a quick shower. For reasons of a sanitary nature, Arthur decided on the latter of the two possibilities. Kinky fun was kinky fun but, he did draw the line when it came to cross-contamination.

A beep arrived on his hollow display, causing the young man to turn a time later when he was wrist-deep in at least a dozen eggs, all frying in a large pan. His gaze shifting to follow the appearance and projected arrival of a familiar woman making her way toward his compound.

“Dia!” He called, returning his attention to his stove, tossing in some dill and a little salt from his arranged spices as he did so. “Your sister is on her way over!”

Feeling the heavy-hooved steps of his lover as she entered his domain of sizzling butter and crisping—magic-land-hog, his beautiful demoness joined him as she peered at the blue-tinted hologram that was shining through the air nearby. She nodded her head, moved to gently rub a thumb across his cheek then seated herself at the table, smiling broadly as Arthur turned, plate already piled high with food which he deposited before her.

“You spoil me, you know.”

“Mmmm, I enjoy it.”

“Which part? Cooking or treating me like some pampered princess?”

“Both.” Arthur quipped, meaning it from the bottom of his heart. It was definitely his mother's influence on him, he just couldn't really help it. Watching Dianna devour each and every dish he laid before her as though she hadn't experienced flavour in her entire life was immensely—gratifying. The fact he got to ogle her absurdly lascivious figure entirely free of charge while she dug in was, in the end, all he could really ask for as payment. “You know…” He added a few beats later as he regarded Cassandra’s approach. “I'm sort of surprised you let Tulla sleep at her aunt and uncles… I’d thought they might want to spend some time—alone with Bianca…”

“Doubtless, they do want that; however, my niece isn't somebody who so easily separates work from the rest of her life. Without her cousin to help fill her in on the details Tavir and my sister couldn't supply, I doubt Bianca could have kept herself from flying over here to find them.”

“Ah, our daughter the diplomat is it?”

“She’s a smart girl, Tulla knows what she should say and what she shouldn't. Most of the time, that is… Just enough to appease her cousin without giving away any secrets and, the girl does like to hear herself talk…”

Arthur chuckled, finishing his own eggs and plaiting them before joining his wife, unmarried by ceremony as they were, at the table to eat, immediately finding a strange semblance of comfort as the demon's tail wrapped around his waist as it was so wanton to do. “So, what's the plan then?”

“The—plan…” Dianna began after she finished chewing on a particularly greasy bit of pork, suckling her fingers with delighted satisfaction. “Somewhat largely revolves around you.”

“Ah.” Arthur chuckled, already seeing where this was going. “You want to woo her with a few tailored souls to keep her quiet, a little chicanery to bribe away her loyalties?”

“You’re close for certain. However, not precisely right…”

“So then, what is it? You already quite clearly put the fear of god in her yesterday so…”

Dianna smiled, her tail tightening around her lover's form, sinching just to the point where any more would be less a display of affection and more… something approaching the uncomfortable. The demoness leaned forwards, chin resting across clasped fingers as she regarded Arthur carefully, one of her hooves reaching out to gently stroke at his leg. “Do you love me?” She quired, the question slapping him right out of left field given the direction he’d thought the conversation was heading.

“I—think that I do…”

“And your not just saying it because you shamelessly lust after my body like a horny puppy?”

Arthur—lowered his fork, holding Dianna’s gaze as a hand involuntarily lowered to stroke at the tail coiled about his waist. He peered downwards at it a moment later, catching himself in the act of it, amused by how quickly the large appendage had become something he enjoyed being present and constricting around him… The damned thing always seemed to search for and wrap around his body… When they were at the table eating, while they shared a bath… At night, when they coupled then, later as they slept… Dianna’s tail had become something of a constant in his life while the woman was around… Its smooth texture and dangerous power promised the ability to crush whatever it slithered around within its deceiving embrace as much a show of trust and affection as it had been an object of fear when they’d first met… He continued to rub its inky, scaled surface, considering the demoness's question with earnest effort.

Did he love Dianna? Not just for her fiendishly tempting body, not just for the way she seemed to know all the right ways to get him going and—finish him… And not even for their clear compatibility in bed, given how much fun they found in each other's arms, but… emotionally… Did he love her? It was a—strange thing to consider, he felt, especially given they hadn't really known each other that long… More, strangely enough, he’d actually spent more time with her daughter than the woman herself, given her stint in the labyrinth… Yet, there were definitive sparks… and maybe it was true they’d been at each other's throats not that long ago but, that sort of just endeared the demon to him that much more… He enjoyed the challenge she presented in his life… something that was as insurmountable as it was rewarding should he simply try to overcome it… She was aggressive and terrifying when angered… A talented self-proclaimed killer, and ruthless ex-soldier within an imperialistic empire. She seemed to care little for those beyond the scope of her family, could be almost sociopathic and at times gleefully savage… Yet, she was caring in her own fashion… Terribly protective of those she held near and dear… Honest with her own feelings and opinions and unafraid to bring attention to either. He’d of course be lying if he ever said the sex wasn't part of the whole package but… in truth, Arthur couldn't really find fault with everything else that surrounded it… Actually, when he really delved deep and thought on it, he quite honestly really liked that particular bit of everything else around Dianna… Her daughter included…

They’d both grown on him in a rather unexpected manner given Arthur hadn't ever wanted kids, though, that was less because he didn't like them and more never enjoyed the notion of needing to settle down and chain himself to their needs. Thankfully, Tulla was about as independent as they got, more like a cat than a needy and snot-nosed child who required a caretaker at all hours of the day. He liked her and—strangely, considering he’d never wanted to be one, enjoyed acting the part of her father… Some dormant part within his psyche found immense joy deep in the pit of his soul in watching the small demoness succeed and excel when presented with such mindbogglingly foreign ideas as those he offered her from his homeland. All of which she seemed to just devour with delight. It was true… They had grown on him… mother and daughter, both if for entirely different reasons… Waking up whilst being the little spoon to a giant alien succubus from another world, tucked within her powerful limbs, enormous breasts and blanketed by draping wings was an—experience he hoped to never need to surrender… She’d brought joy to his life, and even if he’d been perfectly happy with what he’d had before her, Dianna had decidedly made it better in a way he couldn't have ever managed to predict… The more he thought on it, the more he realized that he’d never willingly go back to that time in his life, absent the girls who’d joined him… Found that he’d likely commit terrible crimes in defence of either of them… willingly bend and subvert the laws of reality if it meant they'd manage an even marginal gain in life for his efforts… And, that if he were to ever lose them… there would be an unfillable void left in his soul that would mar his existence for the remaining time he lived, possibly even causing him to wonder if the world even had a point in existing without them. Dark thoughts aside, he had his answer.

“I do love you…” Arthur whispered, voice quiet amidst the silence of the room. He took a breath, marshalling himself and meeting her fixated gaze, smiling warmly as he reiterated himself a moment later. “I do love you, Dianna. Quite a lot, I think… Sure, things moved along pretty fast for us, but… my dad always said he fell for my mom the first moment he saw her… Honestly, I always thought that sort of thing was just—something people said, but… Now, I sort of get it…”

“Hmmm… I too adore and love you Arthur. You're strange and quite eccentric, but it's both enthralling and precious to me all the same. And the way you treat our daughter, even when I'm not around, is—stimulating…”

Arthur swallowed, noting how Dianna’s crossed irises seemed to thin and possessively focus on him. The tip of her tail gently stroking along his back, the sensation sending shivers from spine to toes… “Your sister is nearly here, you know…”

“I am aware husband…” The succubus purred, grinning lecherously at him before visibly reigning herself in, though, she didn't stop exploring his form with either tail nor hoof. She took a deep and calming breath, returning to her previous self with an effort before popping another strip of bacon in her mouth to chew thoughtfully. “Responsibility is as exhausting as it is—frustrating at times… however, there are things that we often must do for the sake of our loved ones, for the sake of family. Another question then. Do you trust me enough to do something you might find—potentially distasteful?”

“That—depends…” Arthur replied carefully, caution rising like bile in his throat as he suddenly eyed Dianna with apprehensive uncertainty.

She nodded, noting his expression, sighed then relaxed in her seat. “Fair enough… Then, I shall be blunt with you, husband. I want you to put a child in my niece's belly for me.”

Arthur, perhaps unsurprisingly—coughed, eyes bulging for half a second before he managed to grind down his emotions and place them within that all too familiar box. One that was dark. One that was deep. And one that never saw the light of day unless he desired it… “That’s—honestly not what I was expecting us to talk about at breakfast…” He mused a slight but entirely faux smile, at least to himself, spreading easily across his lips.

“No need to hide it, my love, I’ve gotten good at catching those brief glimpses of how you really feel about something before you can properly secret it away. I understand it's a strange request, but I feel, given what I know about you, that I’ll be—more successful in this endeavour should you be given the appropriate time to process it. So, now that it's on the table let me explain the why.”

Arthur just nodded, finding his expression to slowly crumble and erode away until his true feelings on the matter were exposed. Damn, if the demon wasn't quick on the uptake… Though, he supposed Tulla had to have gotten her intelligence from somebody… As it happened, Arthur, more or less at this point, had empirical evidence towards which of her parents it had come from… When Dianna looked to have accepted his slight acknowledgement for her to continue, she did so, smiling thinly at him without seeming to bat an eye towards the bizarre situation they were in.

“Bianca has—brought with her some troubling news… No doubt the reason my sister is on her way here is to invite us, primarily you, given your absence yesterday, to help plan for a rather troubling storm on the horizon…” Dianna paused, tilting her head slightly before letting out a weary sigh. “We are losing the war, Arthur."

He blinked, then a second time as his jaw worked but, no words managed to be forthcoming… Still, she waited, allowing him to compartmentalize and work through what she’d said before, deciding to just go with the simple question. “How?”

“How indeed… The short answer would be that were ceding ground to the Tricen. Battles have more often than not ended in stalemates or pyrrhic victories for us, and for every inch we try to gain upon their capitals fortifications, we are bloodied beyond reasonable expectation.”

“I mean… If they were that capable, then… I hate to ask it but, how’d the empire even manage to push them this far to begin with?”

“Hmm…” Dianna smirked, though it didn't reach her eyes. “I’d say it has a lot less to do with their competency in battle than it does our own growing inadequacies. Legatus Brimtide has, as I am told, departed this world before it was truly conquered, along with the majority of his veteran troopers and command staff. He was the strategic brilliance of our legions here as much as his legionnaires were the mountain of resolve our forces looked to for morale. What’s been left in his wake are the remnants of conscripted youths and the smattering of salted warriors meant to uplift them. Reinforcements haven't arrived since our army's head was lopped off and recalled to Cornin, and in his place, a gaggle of young and untested commanders from esteemed families have been given complete control of all operations. Far be it from me to question why things have transpired as they have but, I’ve a suspicion or two regardless.”

“So… that means nobody will be coming to resupply the village… or any of the others like it…”

“Doubtful.” Dianna agreed solemnly. “If things continue as they have been, much of the older soldiery believes the army will lose its current foothold within the month, then, fight a slow and slogging retreat through previously conquered lands until they are forced to permanently reinforce our provincial capital, Londis, at which point new and likely permanent borders will be drawn. Regardless of our talent as warriors, there is a significant population of Tricen that have all fled to this final bastion of theirs. We face a people who are militarizing themselves, throwing numbers at our troops as if we were a meat-grider. Yet, it is working… And if the imperium felt whatever it was they were recalling their elite forces for is important enough to abandon this campaign so closely to a victorious consolidation, then I doubt it will care for expending the effort to finish the job in the near future… Odds are we’ll be tossed back into the ocean on this continent, our presence on this planet reduced to controlling the first landmass we landed on, which, isn't this one we are currently eating on.”

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“That… is a bit problematic…” Arthur admitted, peering about the house he’d made for his new family with more than just a touch of hesitation… “So, then the plan would be to—abandon the village sooner than later? Resettle somewhere safer and closer to the capital? Or, the other capital on the other continent?”

“No.”

Frowning, Arthur stared at his wife, his head tilting fractionally as he chewed on her rather pointed and calculated rejection. He clicked his tongue after a second, noticing she didn't seem immediately willing to be forthcoming with any form of follow-up, so, he considered the problem from another angle. And after a handful of leaps and a few more guesses, he slowly offered an alternate. “You want to keep building the settlement—here and go independent?”

Dianna grinned at him, expression brightening like the sun, her tail’s deviously barbed tip softly rising to caress his cheek. “Oh, I knew I chose correctly… you've no idea how wonderful it is to have somebody in my life who can actually follow this sort of thing…”

“And… you want Bianca to help us… Bring us soldiers potentially more loyal to her and those like her by tying her down—to me…”

“It's not like the girl won't get anything from it all.” Dianna waved, as though to dismiss his clear concerns. “And I don't intend to share you with her. Think of it as a—stud session if you will. Her child will be yours thus assuring a semblance of loyalty which will go both ways and one that transcends what we can do for her from a—strictly power perspective with your particular talents. My niece isn't exactly one that’s too interested in the opposite sex or any form of companionship, really, which is why she’s been so devoted to her duties. We can break those chains and reforge them in our favour, and in doing so, potentially gain what we lack here, people. Once she’s had a child of her own, new purpose to gnaw on and discovers just how wonderful life can be should she bend the knee to—”

“Christ! You want to be a damned queen!”

“Obviously!” Dianna laughed. “What? Am I not pretty enough?”

“I mean, I'm sure dragons would probably think twice about trying to kidnap you but, it wouldn't be because you're not sexy…”

Again, the demoness merely grinned wider as Arthur, imagining Dianna fighting off a giant lizard and, actually winning, gave him a slight—stirring down below, and one of which she immediately noticed by the way her tail started to—shift across his crotch…

“And what terribly perverted thoughts just went through your head to get you hard thinking about me fighting a dragon?”

“Mostly your crazy ass, sweaty abbs and tits…”

“Mmmmm, I love that you're so honest about it… But seriously Arthur, this is something I’ve only ever been able to fantasise about from the time I was a girl. Now, with your help, the perfect opportunity seems to have fallen right in my lap to make it a reality…”

“Not gonna lie, It—feels strange that you would want to be a queen… I mean, privilege aside, it's a not inconsiderable amount of responsibility and—I mean, work…”

“I'm sure it is. Yet, it was never my intention to live the rest of my days in some backwater province as a farmer… I’d like as not die of boredom if that was to be my future! Besides, making the transition to royalty does not mean I or you must do things on our own. Delegation, dear husband. It is why I want what competency from the legion I can snatch away before it is ground down to worthless paste.”

“...Alright…” Arthur muttered, breathing deeply and looking at the scenario for what it was. “There are a few problems with the plan obviously but, I mean, on a whole, I—want to say your wish is my command…”

“Please, it's not like I'm not going to help you know.”

“Yeah, I get that… but, I also sort of want to make it happen for you… I mean, what else am I going to do out here other than set my beautiful bride up with an entire kingdom that we can keep up at night while fucking each other senseless in our very own castle?”

“Flirt.”

Arthur could only grin, yet as another beep warned him that their impending visitor was but a mere few moments away, he lost the expression, finding it returning to mild uncertainty. “What are you going to tell Cassie and Tavir? That you plan for me to impregnate their daughter but, not share the father with her?”

“Pretty much.” Dianna shrugged, not at all seeming concerned. “Harems aren't anything new within the imperium, no matter which sex dominates such arrangements. We all want our offspring to be—potent and if some choose to try and achieve that goal as they wish to then who is to say others should have an opinion that matters?”

“That’s—weirdly idealistic and… egalitarian of you…”

“Hmph, I'm not a barbarian, Arthur. Just because your people are further along in their society than my own doesn't mean we're all sitting a mere stepping stone from the animals we eat. Besides. Do you not think my sister is positively beside herself with envy that her baby sibling is living in this—palace, eating like royalty each and every day while she’s stuck in a hole by comparison? Tying her daughter to you, even if there’s no love, is what we name an arranged marriage in our culture. And, at this point, your value far exceeds what any prince or senator’s son could hope to bring to the table. Not that my niece could even hope for such prospects to begin with… Well, maybe Tavir’s influence might earn her a place as a wife to a—third or fourth son but…”

“I don't know; their place didn't seem that bad…”

“Our bed massages me at night, Arthur. Our toilets aren't partially dug into the earth and disperse our waste without smell or remnants. Booze overflows from more than one liquor cabinet which are filled to the brim with exotic delights from wine to scotch. There’s a bathhouse attached to this facility you call a simple home that likely rivals the best within the greatest senator's own accommodations, if not in size, then capabilities, and I reach climax at least five times a night, minimum, and that's before you even put it in. Do you think I don't share things like that with her? She’s my older sister, it's practically my right to be able to rub her stuck-up nose in it considering how many years she spent lauding getting her slutty talons into a Costis...”

Arthur’s face slowly—flushed a somewhat bright red as Dianna continued to talk, even through his tanned skin, opening his mouth to say something—anything in his defence but… Truthfully, though the village was quite aesthetically pleasing, as were the cozy homes within, the most advanced thing about the pods was the way they’d been constructed… and, second to that, magic fireplaces that didn't need coals to light… Compare that to the home he’d built for Dianna and his daughter and… well… no more needed to be said about that…

“How do we even know I could get her—pregnant… U-unless your…”

“Im not… sadly… Nothing yet has seemed to take despite the fact I’ve decided to start ovulating again… And, at this point, I doubt anything will of its own accord. But, there’s no reason such a thing should remain a barrier when your already so—adept and bending the rules to your favour?”

“Ah… that’s actually a fair point, isn't it…” Arthur chewed on that for a moment, mind rapidly spinning up to try and figure out how he could best create a tarot for himself that would allow him to—interbreed with an alien species… Probably, something along the lines of what he was already working on would be best… Maybe he could call the thing the; Captain Kirk… “Still, I'm not sure If I exactly—like the idea… I mean, It seems wrong on so many levels that I don't even know where to begin!”

“Then bring her in. Don't treat her like a stranger, and lavish her with your affections as well. If letting her join a loving harem that I stand at the apex of is what it takes to get your agreement, then— “

“No, you're sort of missing the point here, I think…” Arthur interrupted, raising a hand to forestall Dianna from further comment. “I'm—sure Bianca’s a wonderful person once you get passed it all, and she’s plenty attractive, but… I don't want anyone else but you in my bed… You’re… umm…” His words trailed as the table seemed to buck as it heaved with the sudden twitch of an insanely strong tail. His succubus’s eyes gazing at him with complete hunger, and not for his cooking. “Ah, It would seem we are on the same page here, but… your sister…”

“Can fuck off until I’ve finished with you.” Dianna hissed, lifting the table and setting it aside as though it were some plastic children's toy, her tail hoisting Arthur bodily from his seat as she stood, carrying him to the bedroom.

“She’s literally right outside the door!”

“Good, I like it when other people know I'm having fun!”

“Oh… oh—shit!” Arthur cried as he was summarily thrown from their bedroom door onto an extra-large kingsized mattress, his body bouncing as Dianna stalked towards him like a prowling lioness, determined to get what she desired…

Cassandra stood outside the strange and—box-like building… its construction a rather bleak mash-up of simple geometrics that were difficult to find any semblance of warmth or joy in looking at… They were clean… sanitary, even… Without fault of obvious flaw which, despite herself and the wonders she knew existed within, couldn't alleviate the sensation of—apprehension she felt when approaching the almost—soulless structure of white square panelling… A shiver ran down her spine as she waited at the door, somewhat nervous that she hadn't yet been invited inside… Usually, Arthur was rather timely with such things, typically well aware of her or any other visitor’s arrival to a degree of startling efficacy. Yet, things had been strained yesterday… and while Arthur himself hadn't contributed to the situation’s escalation, he had been the object of its inception… Her sister had brutally beaten her daughter in their impromptu dual… A worry that Cassandra had been harbouring ever since she heard the girl might be paying them a visit… It wasn't all Dianna’s fault, nor anyone’s really… But at that moment, when she’d seen what her sister had done, Cassandra had wanted little else in the world but to shred her sister's miserable spine from where it lay within her… Had even tried but, been so—hopelessly overpowered by the larger woman, despite the age difference that… well… Cassandra had all but submitted… She’d always known her sister to be strong but… never—monstrous as she was now…

Things had quickly de-escalated once emotions had settled and cooler minds had prevailed but… before being pinned, Cassandra had earnestly tried her best to cause a not inconsiderable amount of damage… They’d fought often enough in the past, a little sibling rivalry, nothing truly new, but now, she felt a little foolish... Doubly so, considering how superficial most of her daughter's injuries actually were. They looked bad to be sure, but the reality of it was that her sister seemed to have taken great pains to avoid anything permanent. Mix in a little healing magic, and one might not even know that Bianca had looked to be swaying upon death's door just the prior evening. It was—frustratingly, a hat-in-hand sort of situation now… Given her sister's mate was responsible for giving them the means to build their settlement, the means to gather scarce resources not available locally to them, and a rather potent shield in which they could sleep peacefully behind… Cassandra suspected she might just have overreacted with a few of the things she’d—said… a-and done…

Cautiously, she knocked on the front door… Earnestly uncertain if she was purposefully being given the cold shoulder or… Cassandra jerked as she heard a visceral scream pierce through her ears, the primal howl smashing into her as though it had some—physical force to it… causing her to take an involuntary step back as the cries continued… Her sister's voice all but braying like a… like a… The demon woman licked her lips with a touch of uncertainty, taking another slight step away from the door as Dianna’s wails only seemed to intensify… the tips of Cassandra’s ears burning while her hands clenched then unclenched with nervous energy, the process repeating again and again, unsure exactly as to what she should—do…

A-annoyingly, she couldn't exactly leave given she’d then have to explain to the others why somebody had to fly back out and try again, only later. Well, she could, technically, but she didn't bloody well want to! Cassandra seethed, kicking a hoof at the dirt as she walked away from the foreboding building… This was just like her sister! Doubtless, she’d known Cassandra was coming and waited right until the moment she was at their door to start screwing the man she’d come to talk to. It was on purpose! And why wouldn't it be? It wasn't like Cassandra had a claim on Arthur… Worse, no matter how one really looked at it, Bianca had been the instigator of yesterday's… festivities… even if she was, generally speaking, morally and legally in the right… At least so far as the imperium was concerned, or at least it was while the empire could still enforce its own authority. Neither did it truly matter that her sister's own spawn had been the catalyst for it all…

That was the whole reason Cassandra was even out here, to begin with! To gather the strange mage that had joined the family to discuss—details regarding their future. What was she going to do? Give up the free apartment she already had to go and run away to a soon-to-be obscenely over-populated city with a pension that hadn't even arrived for her to spend yet? Not to mention the fact that, positioned as they were, the Lacunae was their oyster! Untaxed and unrestricted travel to the labyrinth? What was such a thing even worth? Fresh food and delicious home-cooked meals at the hands of nearly all who lived near her, again only possible because of her sister's mate, in exchange for mouldy rations and hunger, when things in Londis inevitably became desperate? No, thank you… Cassandra had eaten her cake and wanted more. Which, was why she was determined to be the bigger person here, at least so far as her and her sister's little—spat could be concerned.

The older woman shivered just remembering their fight, which could honestly be named anything but… “More like a one-sided wrestling match with a god…”

Frankly, Cassandra was beside herself with how terrifying her sister had become… Oh yes, she’d always been bigger than others and more aggressive but the dynamic between the two of them had always been equalized by the fact she knew magic while her sister did not. Or, not enough to matter… Now however, the guplh between them just seemed so impractically large and—insurmountable that Cassandra, despite trying to do so, could scarcely cause her sister to even flinch… Her magic had just fizzled out, not managing so much as a crude hook to latch on and do anything… The revelation that she was all but impervious to the very best Cassandra could manage, and she had given her bitch of a sister everything she had was… frightening… A horrific prospect that only grew more severe once Dianna had admitted to besting so many labyrinthian floors all on her own… Aided of course by supposed—inventions bestowed upon her by that strange squishy mage of hers but, that hardly mattered when the results were so clear to see and potent…

Maddeningly, the scales that had always hung near equal between the pair were now skewed by such a despairing margin that Cassandra found herself at a complete loss as to how she should treat her younger sibling when, by her own admission, she’d been thrust into the realm of potential legends… Her claim that she could have butchered her niece's century without so much as a passing concern for her own well-being is so utterly baffling and ridiculous but, at the same time, bogusly possible in its own right, strictly from what she'd seen! Worse was that her own husband seemed to think she was telling the truth! An entire century! Sure, they were young but, nobody had the power to slaughter so many people, so many soldiers all at once and the fact her sister seemed so confident she could was… again, frightening…

It meant there could be no reprisals for her actions. No authority that could hold her accountable nor bring her to heel. She was, in point of fact, a very real threat to the region's stability, given she’d all but spat in the eye of her empire and dared it to do something about her insolence. Dianna was her sister, and she loved the girl to death, but… at the same time, what she’d done was—inexcusable on so many different levels! Yet, that was part of the problem, now wasn't it? Her sister wasn't dumb by any means of the phrase and, undoubtedly, knew just how much she could get away with now that she’d apparently become a damned demi-god… The empire wouldn't do anything about her, not now, not when they were already consigning the world to a lost cause… Her sister had been told of the empire's frailty in this region, of its weakness and inability to enforce its codices, so, Dianna would do exactly as the legions had trained her. She’d conquer, burn, pillage, destroy and slaughter until there was nobody left to stand against her authority. Cassandra could see it in her eyes whilst Bianca had explained things the previous evening, could observe the very moment her sister had come to the conclusion as she’d listened and considered. The worst part was that she couldn't even fault her the woman for the notion! Dead gods, it wasn't as though Tavir and herself hadn't been planning much the same thing as they’d slowly realized something in the air was turning…

Cassandra sighed, fully aware of the situation they were all in and, the forecasted events that would likely soon transpire. Annoyed that it would be Dianna and not herself who stood at the epicentre of their plans. That being said, they were sisters… and, for better or worse, Dianna’s fortunes would, inevitably, overflow into her own… Yet it still rankled her!

The front door swung with a suddenness that Cassandra hadn't been expecting, lost in the throws of her own thoughts as she was, her eyes flying wide as she came face to face with her younger sibling, the much taller woman peering down at her with a look that said she was—less than pleased to have a visitor.

“Sister. Your hair looks rather tousled. Am I perhaps interrupting something?”

“Shove off Cassandra, we both know you can smell what was going on in here, you've already interrupted plenty.” Dianna let out a long and contended breath, stretching languidly like a cat in the daylight while Cassandra could merely try her best not to be overwhelmed by the scent of her sister's pussy and sweat…

It was not a terribly unbearable scent in reality. One did get used to such things when their senses were as good as their own, but… did her sister really need to rub it in? “Are you going to invite me in, or should I wait out here for another half hour?”

“We did try to be quick about it, but… my mate is rather—insatiable when it comes to certain—activities…”

“I get it, he makes you scream. Can I please speak with your husband now? Or, better yet, give him a message so I can, as you put it, shove off and go back home.”

“Nooo, please, dear sister, I insist, come inside and make yourself—comfortable.”

When Cassadra’s eyebrow twitched at the nearly mocking voice of her sister, she very nearly turned around right then and there. If the cunt wanted to be this petty, she would let her be so, alone and without her only sibling's presence. Still, Dianna’s expression shifted a moment later, warping into a wolfish grin as she moved forward, wrapping Cassandra in a large hug that was—sufficiently genuine.

“Care to call things even between us?”

“Not really, but I will consider your apology for what it is and decide if I'm so inclined to forgive you.”

“Oh my, you are pissed at me, aren't you!” Dianna clucked, her infuriatingly cultured tone just making Cassandra want to tear her hair out. A moment later her sister let her go, turning on a hoof without much alacrity before heading deeper into her abode, peering over her shoulder with a small nod as she continued. “Come on then, you and I need to have a short talk before we all depart for the settlement, and one that doesn't involve Arthur being present.”